This evening when I started my PC (Windows 7 Pro) the OS failed to start properly forcing me to eventually perform a System Restore. I chose the Restore Point prior to upgrading to LR 4.2.

The Restore worked and I was able to start the OS and login into my desktop. Now when I start LR 4.1 it fails to recognize my catalog. I receive a dialog with the message, 'Unexpected error opening catalog.' If I try to open a backup catalog I get the same message.

Light Room never really starts, but rather just gets stuck in a loop asking me to select a catalog or create a catalog (which it does not do either.)

I'm not sure what my options are at this point. Should I uninstall and start over?

Have you tried opening directly from the catalogue by double-clicking it?

Well Bob,

I tried that and I now get a message indicating the LR 4.1 needs to be installed. Oy Vey! So it seems like LR 4.1 got wacked by the LR 4.2 installer and the System Restore wasn't able to restore LR 4.1 properly.

It's good that you resolved your issue but I am not so sure that you had to back track as far as you did. I had a similar issue(same OS) on either the beta of 4.0 or the install of actual 4.0; although my OS was not corrupted only Light Room and especially my catalogs converting from 3 to 4. Light Room over writes it self so I only had to reinstall LR. In doing an internal post mortem I discovered that (I forget who was the culprit) either Windows or Norton began a download / install while I was doing the LR download instal.

It's good that you resolved your issue but I am not so sure that you had to back track as far as you did.

Well I'm sure that I did have to do what I described.

Why?

1) The OS would not boot without error. 2) Once that problem was resolved with a System Restore LR 4.1 would not start AT ALL without weird errors being reported.3) After uninstalling LR 4.1 and installing LR 4.2 all LR issues were resolved.4) As a side note I did perform a Registry Clean after uninstalling LR 4.1 and prior to installing LR 4.2 and created a new restore point prior to installing LR 4.2.

The moral of the story for Windoz users is to ALWAYS create a Restore Point before installing new software.

I tried that and I now get a message indicating the LR 4.1 needs to be installed. Oy Vey! So it seems like LR 4.1 got wacked by the LR 4.2 installer and the System Restore wasn't able to restore LR 4.1 properly.

Don

Which, if you think about it - makes perfect sense:

1) you installed LR 4.2 and opened the catalog, converting it2) you have a system issue, and restore to a pre-4.2 state3) attempting to open the catalog results in a confusing error message - LR is now a mix of registered and unregistered components, I'm not suprised you would get a 4.1 specific message.

You probably didn't need to uninstall 4.1, but no harm done, the key is re-installing 4.2, allowing you to open the catalog....

You probably didn't need to uninstall 4.1, but no harm done, the key is re-installing 4.2, allowing you to open the catalog....

Btw - The Lightroom installer does set a system checkpoint.....

Yes I did need to uninstall LR 4.1 ... you guys don't seem to be reading my post clearly. And yes LR installer does create a Restore Point (not a check point) but the better part of valor is to create a Restore Point.

There is actually no difference between a system restore and check point starting with Windows Vista, other than semantics; a checkpoint is created automatically on a schedule, a restore point is initiated either by a software installation, or windows update. The mechanism is precisely the same

did you try installing LR 4.2 before resorting to un-installing 4.1? Just curious, in any case glad you got it resolved.....

There is actually no difference between a system restore and check point starting with Windows Vista, other than semantics; a checkpoint is created automatically on a schedule, a restore point is initiated either by a software installation, or windows update. The mechanism is precisely the same

The possible types of restore points are: system checkpoints, which are scheduled restore points that your computer creates; manual restore points, which the user creates; and installation restore points, which are automatically created when you install certain programs.